Writing Your Own Obituary Reveals Dreams About Life

by Barbara Latta

I took a trip last weekend and spent some time with dead people.

As a lover of history, I enjoyed exploring the historic buildings in west Texas and across the

Billy the Kid had a reputation for lawlessness
and murder.

border into New Mexico. Reading the plaques mounted on crumbling brick brings pictures to mind of all the people who walked through the doorways and the events that transpired under the roofs of the now ancient wooden beams supporting the antique structures.

One such building in Mesilla, New Mexico housed the courtroom where Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced to hang. He escaped the jail cell he was held in and that sentence was never carried out. He did, however, meet his demise when Pat Garrett later shot him. This young man was only 22 years old, and in that short lifespan he had made a reputation of lawlessness and murder.

Concordia Cemetery in El Paso is the burial place of over 60,000 people. Some were famous outlaws and murderers whose crime spree covered decades and left destruction in their wake. One of these was John Wesley Hardin, the man who is remembered for killing more people than any other gunslinger in the West. It is reported he once shot a man for snoring too loudly.

We remember the names of these people, but their remembrance is because of evil deeds. They may be famous here on earth, but where are they now? Unless they repented before their last breath was drawn, these unfortunate souls are now in the clasp of the devil.

What a way to be memorialized—for bringing evil and pain to other people. Were these the dreams for their lives? 

At a writing seminar I attended a few months ago, the topic of the lesson was to write your own obituary. While that sounds morbid when those words first reach your ears, after much thought the reason for the lesson becomes clear.

John Wesley Hardin is remembered for murder.

The premise of the meeting was to record what we wanted our legacy to be. Without any reservations, hesitations or limitations, we were encouraged to write down everything we would like someone to say about us at our funeral. If this is done in a true heartfelt way, what you are really doing is writing out your dreams and goals for your life.

Reading back to yourself what you really would like to have accomplished in life and having someone be able to say that about you will uncover the dreams inside your heart.

This is a great lesson for anyone to do. Finding your purpose, no matter what station in life you are in at the present, can reveal what you can and should be doing starting now to make a difference in the world.

Maybe the famous gunslingers of the West really did want to be remembered for being the fastest draw or killing more people than anyone else. But I know if they could speak now, they would do anything to change what their name stood for.

You can read more here about Writing Your Own Obituary by Sally Hamer, the teacher who led the seminar I attended. 

Here is a link to the first chapter of Make Your Dreams Bigger Than Your Memories by Terri Savelle Foy where she also references the difference writing your own obituary can have on your life.  

What do you want to be remembered for? Feel free to share your comments below.

Writing your own obituary reveals your dreams (click to tweet)

How do you want to be remembered (click to tweet)